Rory Lambe

PhD Researcher in Wearable Technology at University College Dublin

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I am a Stage 2 PhD student in Wearable Technology at University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland. I am working with the supervision of Dr. Cailbhe Doherty at the Insight Centre for Data Analytics. My undergraduate degree is in Physiotherapy.

My research interests involve the use of modern technology for health, in particular wearable technology and machine learning.

Some of my research involves validating the accuracy of measurements such as heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and VO2 max, from consumer wearable devices, including Apple Watch and Google Pixel Watch.

I'm intrigued by the use of wearable devices to facilitate early intervention, as well as preventative and self-directed care for chronic disease. I have a clinical and practical focus. With this in mind, my PhD research involves building a machine learning model to assess cardiovascular health. I use Python libraries like Pandas and scikit-learn every day as part of my work.

Together with Ben O'Grady, I was winner of NovaUCD's Student Enterprise Compeition. Our start-up, Clia, which uses wearable technology to improve heart health, was also named one of the Bank of Ireland ThinkBusiness '100 Hottest Irish Start-Ups to Watch in 2025'.

Outside research, I have spent an academic year teaching Irish in an all-Irish speaking secondary school (Gaelscoil) in Dublin. During this time, I created this website, with notes and resources for my classes. I continue to tutor secondary school student in Irish, French, and Spanish. It's something I greatly enjoy.

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Selected Publications

The Validity of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 for Serial Measurements of Heart Rate Variability and Resting Heart Rate

Ben O'Grady, Rory Lambe, Maximus Baldwin, Tara Acheson, Cailbhe Doherty.

Sensors. 2024 Sep 26;24(19):6220.

An Evaluation of the Effect of App-Based Exercise Prescription Using Reinforcement Learning on Satisfaction and Exercise Intensity: Randomized Crossover Trial

Cailbhe Doherty, Rory Lambe, Ben O’Grady, Diarmuid O’Reilly-Morgan, Barry Smyth, Aonghus Lawlor, Neil Hurley, Elias Tragos.

JMIR mHealth and uHealth. 2024 Nov 26;12:e49443.